


This is where it ends

by ProblematicTM



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-Apocalypse, Pre-Apocalypse, Pre-Zombie Apocalypse, a lot of drama, delicious pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-14 20:01:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11215275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProblematicTM/pseuds/ProblematicTM
Summary: After Rick lost his wife in a car accident, Shane does really everthing to help his partner through a pretty tough time.





	1. Prolog

Rick were out of duty, on his way back home, as his phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans. He knew better then checking it while he was behind the steering wheel so he ignored it for now and kept driving, until he reached the scene of a car accident. The street were blocked by an ambulance and a patrol car, which made it difficult to see the actual scene. But he saw a familiar face instead. Shane.

 

Shane's serious expression changed to somewhat like panic as he noticed Rick's care, which now stood at the side of the road. He immediately jogged over to his partner, who already was about to get out of his car.

 

"You got my text already?"

 

Rick shook his head but made an attempt to pull his phone out of his pocket, only to get stopped by his friend who grip his arm firmly.

 

Shane's expression, his hesitation, which wasn't Shane's normal behavior at all, told Rick almost everything he needed to knew and set a uneasy feeling in his stomach. But he needed him to say it out loud.

 

"You need help with this case?", he asked carefully with a questioning frown on his features. Shane let drop his head and gulped hard. The grip on Rick's arm tightened while his other hand run over his own head. A nervous tick, he never would let go off. He clearly struggled to find the right words.

 

"They are Lori and Carl..."

 

More didn't Rick needed to hear. Shane's voice faded out of reach, his head was spinning, he felt in shock, not able to move anymore and he felt how his throat went dry and all strength left his body. His knees got weak too. But instead of sinking to the ground in tears, he snapped back to awareness and started moving, almost ran to the wrecked car, too fast for Shane to catch and stop in time.

 

"RICK!", the officer yelled after him without effort. In an approach of frustration and anger Shane slammed the door of Rick's car shut, before he turned on is heals and ran after Rick, who had reached the car wreck already. It was twisted around a tree, so demolished that no one could possibly have survived this.

 

Again was a firm grip placed on his body. Shane's sudden hand on his shoulder let Rick jump this time, as he had been staring at the car wreck and had zoomed out again.

 

"This isn't real. It can't be. Lori... Carl." Rick's voice cracked. Before he could resist, his best friend turned him around and pulled him in a warm embrace.

 

"I'm so sorry, brother."

 

Usual words, which Rick would hear a lot in the next few days, compared with an unusual action. Shane never had been the very affectionately guy, even though they were best friends. But special circumstances were calling for special actions.

 

Rick wished he would have been able to cry. He wanted to scream! But he just felt numb.

 

He had lost everything in just one night.

 

He just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

 

"Rick..." Shane's voice reached out for him again, much softer this time, almost only a whisper, while he didn't let go of the emotional wounded man in his arms.

 

"Carl actually made it. They have already brought him to the Harrison Memorial Hospital."

 

The sheriff felt how a spark of hope inflamed his will to live and let him breath again. "Bring me there! Immediately!"

 


	2. Breaking point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick is loosing it almost compleatly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For optimal sadness listen to this playlist while reading:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/1190283700/playlist/382JvBbwNJ2yutMVVC0YYO

How could have had Shane refuse Rick's request, even though it came out a bit bossy? Of course he had drove his friend to the hospital. 

They had both kept quiet during the whole ride. Rick was worried sick and still struggled to understand what was currently happening, while Shane didn't dare to say anything, mostly because he didn't really knew what he should say at all. 

As they reached their destination, Rick rushed to the reception and Shane had trouble to stay close, but nevertheless they reached almost simultaneously the hospital room in which Carl lay. 

Rick didn't even knocked. He just rushed into the room but froze immediately as he saw in what condition his son was. There weren't only some scratches on him. Thick bandages where wrapped around his head, hiding Carl's right eye under it. Also gypsum was around his right leg and arm, plus a lot of wires which went from several machines to Carl's bed. This image let Rick swallow hard, before he stepped carefully, as if he didn't wanted to wake him, closer to one side of the bed.  
"Oh, Carl.", Rick breathed out, only a whisper, as he had sat down on a chair next to his son, reaching out for Carl's hand. He still was warm, he still breathes, he still lived! That was all that matters in this moment. 

Shane still stood in the doorway, taking in the picture of his best friend and partner sitting there, still brave and fighting back his tears while the dread feeling of loss set in.   
Whenever they had a case like that, whenever they had to deliver bad news like that, it always had been Rick who comforted the families. He was way better with such things. But now? Now it was Rick who needed that kind of comfort, who needed a few up cheering words. Words, which Shane couldn't bring over his lips. 

He felt helpless. 

The more grateful was he as a doctor politely pushed him aside to enter the room.   
"How is his condition? He will make it, won't he?", Rick immediately urged the medical with questions as soon as he had noticed him. The doctor however checked on the patient first and read the board on the end of Carl's bed; the worst and cruelest minute of Rick's life; before he finally answered. "He has several bone fractures in his right arm, his rips and his right leg. Also his right eye got critically damaged. We had to remove it. But all in all are his chances pretty good." 

Rick was horrified. They had to remove his eye? Several bone fractures? But at least he was alive! He wouldn't let himself allow to forget that. Nevertheless he slightly squeezed Carl's hand, looking at his peaceful resting face with a deep frown on his own while the first tears roll down his cheeks.   
"He will make it...", Rick talked more to himself, not wanting to let go of the last bit of hope he had left. 

Shane walked over to the grieving widower and father, placing a hand on his shoulder once again. A short thought of the paperwork on his desk run through his mind. But being, at least a bit of emotional support for his best friend seemed more important right now. There was no way he would leave Rick alone like that. 

"Are you the father?", the doctor asked.

"Yeah...", answered Rick a bit absence while he wiped his tears away. 

"Because there is some paperwork I would like you to fill out." 

Shane gave the doctor a threatening look. "Can't that just wait?", he asked shaking his head in disbelieve. He always thought he would be cold blooded, but this people at hospitals were just on a different level.   
The doctor seemed to get the hint. He nodded and left the room. Rick however didn't seemed to get what the doctor had asked for anyway. He was too deep in thoughts. 

"I need to see her, Shane:" 

"What?" 

"I want to see Lori."

"Oh no, Rick. Don't do this to yourself! Her body probably is in a bad condition."

"I don't care... I need to. I have to see it with my own eyes." 

Shane inhaled deeply. He knew his partners stubbornness, so he leaded him to the pathologie. Right in front of the main entrance, he held Rick back. 

"Are you 100 percent sure?" 

Rick only nodded, starring at the door in front of him. Shane had an uneasy feeling about this, but nevertheless he could understand Rick's wish and wanted to help him with it. 

"Alright. Let me go first."

Rick waited in the long, white, but also kinda dark hallway, while Shane tried to convince the personal to take Loris body out of the freezer again. His police uniform probably helped with that, because shortly after, he let Rick in and leaded him to the room where they had placed several corpses on cold metal tables. They stepped closer to the one in the middle. A large piece of white fabric was hiding Lori's body underneath it . 

How often had he been down here? A few times during the last ten years, maybe? Kings Country was a quiet town. Here didn't happened too many murder investigations.

One last deep breath before they lifted the fabric and showed him his dead wife. Her body was bruised and had a lot of deep cuts all over it, probably from the broken car windows. Rick was shaking as he looked over her, tempted to reach out to touch her face one last time.

But he didn't. 

Instead he broke out in tears and finally sunk on his knees in loud sobs. . 

This was too much! 

He couldn't loose her! 

She couldn't be dead! 

This wasn't real! 

When would he wake up? 

"Please, god... no."

Shane gave the personal a nod in direction of the door. They take the hint and leave them alone, obviously relieved to not have to witness the rest of Rick's breakdown.

"Rick..." Shane keeled down beside his friend, placing a hand on the broken man's back and rubbing it slightly. He understood. This was his wife on the table. The person who he had planed to spend the rest of his life with.   
And now she was gone. For ever. 

They just sat there until Rick hadn't any tears left and let Shane help him up on his feet again. 

"Let me drive you home, Rick. You need some sleep."

Rick however only looked tiered to the ground, face red and swollen from crying and a gaze so hurt and vulnerable. He leaned a little bit forward, hesitating, but Shane got the hint and pulled Rick in a warm embrace.   
He felt how Rick's body leaned totally limp on him, pressing all the weigh of his against Shane's. So Shane tightened the embrace, pressing Rick closer to his chest, listening how the breath of his friends got more even. 

They stood there like that for another solid minute, which basically was long enough for most straight men to get uncomfortable. But it was the only thing Shane could do for Rick right now, holding him, being there for him, showing him that he wasn't alone now, so he didn't hesitated.

Rick however didn't felt like moving anywhere or at all. But neither wanted he to stay here. He just wanted to disappear from this cruel reality, burying his face just a little longer into Shane's shoulder to get the comfort he needed right now. Someone to hold him together while he felt like falling apart.

"Ok, buddy. Come one. Let's go.", Shane finally broke them apart and got at least a little weak nod as response. The officer leaded them both out of the hospital again. But Rick stopped and looked back. 

"Don't worry. Carl won't wake up until tomorrow. And then you will be there in time. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also made a promo post with an illustration for this fic.   
> If you enjoyed it, please be so kind to shar it:   
> http://heart-chan-artblog.tumblr.com/post/161929937708/a-sharick-illustration-for-my-own-fanfiction

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a very slow writer.  
> Don't expect long chapter or regular updates.


End file.
